Abstract

The paper presents and discuses a concept for a Moon mission which enables to prove and validate several key technologies to be mastered prior to initiate the long trip to Mars. Indeed, the Moon could be a suitable platform to test several of the technologies defined in ESA’ technology-matrix needed for AURORA, the European long term vision for Mars exploration.
The proposed reference mission includes a Space-Tug-Vehicle in Moon orbit, transfer the surveillance/relay satellite into low lunar orbit, landing on the Moon with a lander equipped with a rover for miscellaneous challenges and automated return with samples to the Earth. To achieve a low mission costs, beside the selection of low impulse trajectories, is a path-breaking of the concept the application of several recent developed technologies like arc-jet propulsion for the lunar satellite attitude control; combined chemical-electrical propulsion for the automated recovery vehicle; broad Ka–band/ X–band/S-band communication grid data-transmission and advanced ATJ solar arrays as primary energy source, among others.
The analysis includes first global mass budgets for the Lunar-Space-Tug-Vehicle and its component modules; energy budgets for subsystems like electric power supply and propellants and delta-velocity budgets for the complete trajectory and its segments. Additionally, the characteristics of the propulsion systems for the different modules are defined and the equipment selected. Interdisciplinary problems which affect the return vehicle by Earth reentry with super orbital velocity are also deeply analyzed.